Yarn feeding means



p 27, 1966 D. H. FREGEOLLE 3,274,801

YARN FEEDING MEANS Filed May 28, 1964 I U INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,274,801 YARN FEEDING MEANS Donat H. Fregeolle, Cumberland, R.I., assignor to The Banner Company, Central Falls, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,910 1 Claim. (Cl. 66125) This invention pertains to circular knitting machines of the independent needle type and, more particularly, to a means for feeding two yarns simultaneously and at different levels to the knitting instrumentalities.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved means for feeding and controlling the yarns being fed to form special stitches such as patterning, terry loops either conventional or plaited, or conventional plaiting.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved yarn feeding lever and a cooperating mouthpiece which is effective in presenting and maintaining the necessary separation of the yarns being fed to the knitting instrumentalities when knitting reciprocatorily.

A still further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved cooperating mouthpiece capable of accommodating a plurality of dual yarn feeding levers and which is provided with yarn camming surfaces for guiding one of the yarns to be fed to a position whereby a distinct separation is formed between the two yarns to be fed simultaneously by a given yarn feed lever.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

In circular knitting machines of the independent needle type it is often desirous to form special stitches for patterning purposes by plaiting or such stitches as terry loops which, in a manner well known to those conversant with the art, are formed by feeding two yarns simultaneously from different levels separated one from the other as far as possible. Prior to the instant invention, the more common means utilized to feed these yarns from two different levels comprised two separate yarn levers one of which feeds its yarn from :a lower point in the mouthpiece than the other. Another means of feeding two yarns simultaneously from two different levels is disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 311,401 filed September 25, 1963, now Patent No. 3,226,956. In this application a single yarn feeding lever or finger is dis closed which is adapted to be selectively moved in a vertical plane into and out of yarn feeding position.

The yarn feeding means according to the instant invention permits the use of a plurality of yarn feeding levers which are selected and caused to pivot into and out of yarn feeding position in a well known manner; however, one or all of the levers may be provided with dual yarn guiding channels which are constructed and arranged to feed the yarns guided therethrough at two different levels in the knitting machines mouthpiece. The mouthpiece which is adapted to cooperate with the plurality of dual yarn levers and which forms a major part of the invention, is provided with an inner vertical face having a generally centralized vertically disposed slot extending partially therethrough. The mouthpiece further includes a centrally disposed yarn lever engaging horizontal surface extending from the inner vertical face to the outer edge of said mouthpiece with a generally rectangular open central portion. The inner edge of this rectangular open portion extends laterally from each side of the vertically disposed slot with said edge tapering downwardly and inclined toward said slot to form yarn camming and guiding surfaces. One of the yarn guiding channels of each dual yarn lever is adapted to enter the rectangular open portion when its lever is selected and the camming Patented Sept. 27, 1966 and guiding surfaces forming a part of said open portion cause the yarn being fed through this channel to be guided into the vertically disposed slot where it is fed from the lowermost portion thereof. The other yarn guiding channel is disposed forward of the aforementioned channel and not being extended like the latter, its yarn is caused to be fed at the level of the centrally disposed yarn lever engaging portion. The novelty of this mouthpiece which permits the use of a plurality of dual yarn levers has many desirable advantages such as being able to select different yarns and colors thereof for patterning effects while forming the aforementioned special stitches.

The improved means of feeding yarn according to the invention may be utilized, in general, upon any of the conventional circular knitting machines upon which any of the special stitches heretofore mentioned are intended to be formed. One such circular knitting machine and its mode of operation is described in United States Patent No. 2,217,022 to which reference may be made for a more specific disclosure of one environment in which the instant invention may be used.

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail by reference to a specific embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a portion of a knitting machine and the mechanism according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mouthpiece showing the open central portion and the camming edge for guiding the yarns into the vertically disposed slot;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the mouthpiece shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a yarn feed lever and the cooperating mouthpiece with a portion of the latter broken away to show the relationship of these members when said lever is in yarn feeding position.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, enough of a circular type independent needle knitting machine is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to serve as a basis for a detailed description of the invention applied thereto.

The phantom lines depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 show some of the conventional parts of a circular knitting machine and their relation to the various components comprising the invention.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a needle cylinder 10 having a sinker head 11 and a sinker cap 12 which are attached in a known manner to the upper portion of said cylinder and immediately below a carrier ring 13.

The carrier ring 13 is of conventional design having an opening or yarn feeding station at the side thereof which includes a mouthpiece generally indicated by numeral 14 and a plurality of yarn feed levers indicated generally by numeral 15 that are adapted to cooperate with said mouthpiece.

The invention provides a novel means for feeding two yarns simultaneously and is confined to the yarn feeding station and although only one such station is shown in the drawings, it is to :be understood that the invention would be equally applicable to machines having more than one feeding station.

That portion of the carrier ring 13 which forms the sides of the feeding station has attached to one side thereof by means of screws 16 and 17, a yarn guide plate support 18 (FIG. 1) which extends in a generally upward direction and supports a horizontally disposed yarn guide plate 19 on its upper surface. This yarn guide plate overlies a portion of the yarn levers and although not shown it is provided with a plurality of porcelain eye members through which the various yarns are directed and guided to the eye portions or thread channels of their respective yarn levers.

The mechanism according to the instant invention includes a plurality of dual yarn feeding levers and a cooperating mouthpiece that is adapted to accommodate one or more such yarn levers. All of the yarn levers are in the form of a double armed lever and are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on a horizontally disposed rod 20. Rod is supported at its ends in aligned apertures provided in lug members 21 (one only shown in FIG. 1) which form an integral part of and extend upwardly from those portions of the carrier ring 13 that form the sides of the feeding station.

The various yarn feeding levers are selectively movable in a known manner into and out of yarn feeding position as depicted by the solid line and dotted line positions of the yarn lever shown in FIG. 1. This lever is illustrative in configuration of the plurality of such levers that can be assembled on rod 20 and includes a first arm 22 which when in yarn feeding position extends outwardly in a generally horizontal plane and terminates in the form of a hook 23.

One end of a coil spring 24 attaches to hook 23 and extending in a general upwardly direction the opposite end of said spring is adapted to be attached to the shank portion of a screw 25 the threaded portion of which assembles in a tapped hole provided in the outer turned up edge portion of the yarn guide plate 19. Spring member 24 being assembled under tension is continually urging the first arm 22 of the dual yarn lever to the solid line position depicted in FIG. 1.

A second arm 26 forms the lower portion of the yarn lever and extends downwardly for a portion of its length thence inwardly toward the needle cylinder and terminates with vertically disposed dual yarn channels 27 and 28 which will :be more fully described hereinafter.

The lower inwardly directed portion of the second arm 26 forms a shoe or camming surface 29 which is in abutting relation with the inner and upper end portion of a yarn change lever 30. This yarn change lever 30 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends by means of a rod 31 which is supported at each end thereof in aligned apertures provided in the sides of a yarn change lever guide bracket 32. Guide bracket 32 is of conventional design and supports a plurality of similar yarn change levers (not shown) which are adapted to cooperate with the other dual yarn feed levers (not shown) similar to that depicted by numeral 15.

The outer end of the yarn change lever 30 is slotted as at 33 and is adapted to receive one end of linkage 34 therein which interconnects said lever with the main pattern drum for actuating the same in a manner well known to those conversant in the art.

When the slotted end 33 of the yarn change lever 30 is pulled downwardly, the opposite end moves upwardly to the raised position shown in FIG. 1.

This movement causes the yarn feed lever 15 to pivot to the dotted line position illustrated in FIG. 1 which is out of yarn feeding position. During this movement coil spring 24 is caused to expand and when the yarn change lever 30 is again caused to return to its initial position, the retraction of said spring pivots the yarn feed lever into yarn feeding position or in other words to the solid line position. shown in FIG. 1.

The dual yarn channels 27 and 28 at the free end of the second arm 26 of the yarn feed lever are constructed and arranged so as to feed their respective yarns at two different levels in the cooperating mouthpiece 14.

Adjacent the free end of the yarn feed lever an integrally formed and downwardly directed necked portion or protrusion 35 is provided and the thread channel 28, being centrally and vertically disposed therein, extends through this portion of said lever.

Thread channel 27 extends in a like manner through the yarn lever, but being situated in advance of thread channel 28 or intermediate the latter and the free end of said lever, the lower opening of this channel is vertically displaced with respect to the lower opening of channel 28, thereby permitting yarns A and B to be fed to the knitting instrumentalities at two different levels as they are caused to pass through said channels 27 and 28, respectively.

The mouthpiece generally indicated by numeral 14 which forms the lower and inner portion of the feeding station constitutes a major part of the instant invention and is adapted to cooperate with and accommodate a plurality of the dual yarn feed levers 15.

The mouthpiece is provided with an inner vertical face 36 having a generally central and vertically disposed slot 37 extending partially therethrough or partially along the front face thereof.

The mouthpiece further includes a centrally disposed lever engaging horizontal surface 38 which extends from the inner vertical face 36 through to the outer edge of said mouthpiece as at 39 (FIG. 3). This horizontal surface includes a generally rectangular open central portion 40 (FIG. 3) into which the necked portion or protrusion 35 of the yarn feed lever is caused to enter when the latter is selectively moved into yarn feeding position. The inner edge which is indicated by numeral 41 of the rectangular open central portion 40 cooperates with and extends laterally to either side of the vertically disposed slot 37. This edge is sloped angularly downward and inclined from each side thereof toward slot 37 to form yarn guiding and camming surfaces along which yarn B is guided to'enter said slot when its respective yarn lever is selected to move into yarn feeding position. In other words, this guiding and camming surface facilitates the movement of yarn B which when first selected is in the dotted line position depicted in FIG. 1 whereby it is caused to extend inwardly from the same hole as yarn A. As the needle cylinder moves in one direction or the other, the yarns will be carried by the needles or the cylinder across this surface where when reaching slot 37, yarn B will automatically drop into said slot and be fed from the lower portion thereof.

The yarn feed lever 15 is provided with an integrally formed step or seat 42 disposed outwardly of and adjacent the necked portion or protrusion 35 of said lever which serves to limit the movement of the latter by seating on the outer portion of the horizontal surface 38.

In operation, the various yarn feed levers are selectively movable in a known manner into and out of yarn feeding position and the cooperating mouthpiece permits the use of a plurality of dual yarn feed levers of the type herein described. This selection of a yarn feed lever causes the same to move from the dotted line position to the solid line position depicted in FIG. 1. De pending on the position of the yarn lever on rod 20, this movement will cause yarn B to extend outwardly with and at the level of yarn A from one side or the other of slot 37 and the movement of the yarns over the horizontal surface 38 by the leading needle of a selected group is facilitated by the guiding and camming surface, permitting yarn B to enter slot 37 with a minimum of resistance. Yarn'A being fed through channel 27 which is in advance of and of lesser length than channel 28 feeds its yarn at the level of the horizontal surface 38 in the mouthpiece thereby forming a distinct separation of yarns A and B as they are fed from any one of the plurality of dual yarn feeding levers that may be used.

Additionally, the fact that the mouthpiece is capable of accommodating a plurality of dual yarn feed levers with the yarn B of each being .guided to and fed from the Slot 37, this yarn B regardless of the feed lever through which it is guided, is always fed to the knitting instrumentalities at the same angle from the cooperating mouthpiece.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim.

I claim:

For a knitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles slldably mounted therein, a mouthpiece and a plurality of selectively movable yarn feed levers adapted to cooperate therewith to feed yarn to said needles, said mouthpiece having an inner vertical face With a vertically disposed slot extending partially therethrough, said mouthpiece further including a centrally disposed lever engaging horizontal surface extending from said inner vertical face to the outer edge of said mouthpiece and including a generally rectangular open central portion, yarn camming edges forming the inner side of said open central portion with said edges being sloped angularly downward, extending laterally from each side of, and inclined toward said vertically disposed slot, said yarn feed :levers having means to feed two separate yarns when selectively moved to feeding position, said means including dual yarn guiding channels a first of which is adapted to project into said rectangular open central portion where its yarn is adapted to be guided by said yarn camming edges into the lower portion of said slot from which it is adapted to be fed to said needles, and the second being in advance of and vertically spaced from said first guiding channel is adapted to feed its yarn at the level of said horizontal surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,656 2/1909 Hirner 66-136 1,584,099 5/1926 Kane 66136 1,846,892 2/1932 Moore 66137 2,436,318 2/1948 McDonough 6693 2,436,904 3/1948 Shea 66-92 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner. 

